MCLA D-I First Round: New Spoilers Arise

The good news for Michigan and the rest of the Top 4 seeds in
the Division I bracket of the MCLA tournament is two of the biggest
potential spoilers have been bounced from the field. The bad news
is they have been replaced by a more virulent strain of
underdog.

Fifth-seeded Michigan State and No. 7 Colorado were both
presumed to be in that next tier of programs that could be a threat
to the association’s top dogs if they got on a a hot streak.
Both were ousted on Tuesday evening. No. 11 Florida State rallied
for a 10-8 victory over the Spartans while No. 10 Boston College
held off a late charge from the Buffaloes to advance.

In the span of two hours, the conventional wisdom about these
two teams has been reevaluated. Florida State has gone from a
charlatan boasting an 18-1 record on the backs the weak SELC to an
undervalued traditional power that is ready to flex its muscle.
BC’s one-goal win over Colorado stands on its own, but is
enhanced by fellow PCLL member Buffalo’s narrow, 11-8 loss to
Arizona State.

With all of the teams dealing with the same physical and mental
strains, the team with the carefree, underdog
mentality – combined with the obvious skills – is at a
distinct advantage. Both the Seminoles and Eagles have proven
themselves worthy of single-digit seeds, but just not to the
criteria’s liking. That’s why they have the seeding
process and why team’s get to prove themselves. Now they also
have the motivation of knowing that they can play with anyone.

What this has created is a very uneasy bracket. BC and Florida
State reside on one side of the draw where they gleefully take on
No. 2 Colorado State and No. 3 BYU in Wednesday’s
quarterfinals at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver. On the
other side of the bracket, No. 1 Michigan faces No. 8 Oregon
– a team that has taken the Wolverines to overtime the last
two times they faced, including a double overtime affair this
spring – while SLC archrivals No. 4 Chapman and No. 5 Arizona
State also tangle.

The Top 4 seeds are still the right bet to make it to Saturday
evening, but they’ll all have to prove that they
belong.

Here are the quarterfinal match-ups, along with their new times,
which have moved up because of the expectation of inclement weather
in Denver on Wednesday evening: